Mutiny, Murder and Mayhem on the High Seas

This presentation is based on published journals of 2 men who were part of the Royal Navy's attempt to capture a Spanish galleon in 1740.

In September 1740 a squadron* of Royal Navy ships set sail from St Helens, England. It consisted of five men-of-war, a scouting sloop and two small supply ships. Their orders were to cross the Atlantic and sail around Terra del Fuego and Cape Horn and “to distress” the Spanish possessions and capture a rich Spanish galleon.

Commodore George Anson was commander of the squadron and captain of HMS Centurion. Gunner John Bulkeley was on board HMS Wager. Both men were to publish their journals on their return to England and remarkably both are in the RGSSA library and are the subject of this Rare Book Group meeting. The illustrations in the journal of George Anson are particularly fine and will be on display.

HMS Wager was wrecked on the coast of Tierra del Fuego and after facing starvation, scurvy, mutiny, and murder, 30 of the 250 crew managed to returned to England. HMS Centurion successfully rounded Cape Horn, continued across the Pacific, captured a Spanish galleon and returned in triumph to England. 

*This naval term was subsequently adopted for air force units.

This session is full - email admin@rgssa.org.au to be put on the waiting list.